Garry Watson, chef proprietor of Gordon’s restaurant in Inverkeilor, suggests a sizzling steak recipe to get pulses racing on Valentine’s Day
For a romantic dinner nothing gets the heart racing more than a gorgeous Scotch beef steak – simply charred on the outside, cooked perfectly pink and served with a dreamy and delicious savoury butter.
But before I get to the recipe first things first. The quality of the meat itself is enough to ensure a melt-in-the-mouth experience. Scotch beef is the best meat you can buy – it has such a great flavour and amazing quality. My long-established craft butcher Alan Kennedy, proprietor of Ewarts Butcher in Forfar, keeps me right selling only the best quality genuine local Scotch beef.
Marinade 2 x 250g rib eye Scotch beef steaks in a little rapeseed oil with a clove of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme. Keep in the fridge, only removing them from the fridge ideally 20 minutes before you need to cook them, to bring to room temperature.
Meanwhile finely chop 125g of Parma ham, 1 small shallot, 25g button mushrooms and ½ clove of garlic and cook lightly in a little oil for around 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each of chopped tarragon and parsley, remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a separate bowl whisk 125g softened butter until creamy then add the cooked vegetables and ham, add 2 teaspoons of grain mustard and ground almonds and stir well – the ground almonds are a secret tip that help the butter slices hold their shape once on top of the hot steak.
Spoon the butter on a sheet of cling film and roll up like a log, refrigerate to firm. Heat a large heavy based non-stick pan until very hot – the steak should sizzle and smoke when it hits the pan.
Add the seasoned rib eye steaks with good quality salt and colour them quickly 4-5 minutes on each side, then season with cracked mill pepper. Remove the steaks and place on a cooling wire rack in a warm place. Allow to rest for five minutes, then top with a slice of the savoury butter and serve. Accompany with either dauphinoise potatoes or hand cut chips along with dressed roquette and parmesan salad.
Chef’s tip
When turning steaks in the hot pan the best way not to burn yourself is to use metal kitchen tongs, a great kitchen utensil and better than using a grilling fork that will poke holes in your steak, allowing those great juices to escape.
